Serendipity

Missed. :(
Where else can I get Michael Mischer locally?
Best drinks, staff, and place to relax, meet, or work in San Carlos.
Sigh…

I’m sad to see this place has closed. I’ve tried their confections at parties and have to say they are top notch:
+ Fancy — visual and taste
+ Gourment
+ High-​end ingredients
+ Creative
— Pricey
I wish the owners good luck in the future!

I’m very sad to say that Serendipity is CLOSING on January 18^th, 2014. It is one of my favorite small businesses, and I will miss it in a huge way.
It was a fantastic addition to San Carlos, and I will feel the loss perhaps even more than Klutch Burgers and Harmony Frozen Yogurt, which closed in 2013.
If you want to get some fantastic fresh upscale chocolates, wine, or coffee, stop in before they close their doors this weekend.

tried the macaroons and chocolate croissants. for the macaroons i gotta say chocolate!!! chocolate was def the best flavor they have. if i had a box of just chocolate macaroons id be so happy. but i had a variety which only had one chocolate. so sad. other flavors were meh. mango, kona, raspberry, lemon, pistachio. meh. nothing memorable. raspberry and lemon were super tart. was not expecting that. after about 3 – 4 bites these lil guys are gone! price not bad at $ 1.75 each. now i gotta try this downtown palo alto place that everyone is talking about. the chocolate croissant was okay. nothing special or memorable either. the staff was real nice and friendly though. plenty of street parking.

Wow! In my opinion Serendipity’s macarons are better than Chantal Guillon’s both in texture and in flavor!
. I have only tasted three flavors:
Chocolate espresso (⁵⁄₅): Rich coffee flavor with soft/​smooth textured macarons, creamy flavorful filling and just the right amount of sweetness. In comparison Chantal’s can be a little bit too sweet so I like this much better. This can be the best macaron that I’ve ever tasted so far.
Raspberry (⁴⁄₅): texture was a little more grainy but great flavor none the less.
Pumpkin spice (3.5÷5): good soft texture, but its flavor was weaker than the above two.
Vanilla scone (⁴⁄₅) — creamy, crumbly and only slightly sweet.
They only make coffee/​tea in house. The baked goodies are from local suppliers. The macarons were made by a French guy in the Dogpatch district in San Francisco. No wonder these are so good!

1.75 for amazing macarons. One of the best I’ve had.
I’ve been wanting to try this place for a while because it’s close to home. My boyfriend and I stopped by here on our way to the San Carlos wine festival. It’s a very small shop located on an off street of DT San Carlos. The shop is very small but cute and intimate. I’m a huge macaron fanatic and I strive to find the best macarons.
We ordered two macarons because they are on the pricey side here. We got one orange spice (seasonal) and a raspberry. Both are delicious! They sprinkle something on their macarons to give it a crunch and I really liked it and the texture was right on for a good macaron. Not to hard, not to soft, just perfect. My only complaint is that for 1.75 I personally think it’s a bit pricey because the macarons are very tiny. Otherewise, good quality macarons.

Kouign Amann = Good (but pricey)
Sipping Chocolate = Good
Dipping the Kouign Amann in the sipping chocolate = OMFG
The Sipping chocolate was a bit of a disappointment as it’s too much like hot chocolate pudding before it cools. It is too thick and you really have to eat it with a spoon. Doesn’t have the smooth complexity of other sipping chocolate I’ve had. With that said, it boosts the KA pastry to a whole new level. The hunk of chocolate inside the pastry is pretty hard, so the warm sipping chocolate sauce is a wonderful addition.

It’s a cute tiny café. I got macaroons of 4 different flavors and a latte. The choices are limited though.

The Mexican hot chocolate is OK:
But it’s missing depth and complexity, both in terms of the quality of the chocolate, and also the flavorings. I prefer the Chuao spicy Maya hot chocolate at Coupa Café in Palo alto, or the mexican hot chocolate at Monique’s in Palo Alto, or the Oaxacan hot chocolate at Ginger Elizabeth in Sacramento.
The sipping chocolate is a very thick shot of pure hot chocolate:
But once again, it was just too «plain»: no depth or complexity. The sipping chocolate at Back Yard Coffee in Redwood City is more interesting.
They use Jacques Torres chocolate for the hot chocolate drinks.
On Saturdays, they have bread pudding, which they make on-​site from all the leftover croissants that have accumulated during the week:
But I found it to be a dense, uninteresting glob. Down the street, The Refuge has a bread pudding that is 100 times better.
I tried the salted caramel with Hawaiian Black lava sea salt:
But it was a letdown: not only was it really tiny, it lacked any balance or interesting flavor profile.
They sell pastries from Starter Bakery, including croissants, quiche, and kouign-​Amann. You can also get these items at Philz Coffee locations. The croissants and quiche are very good. However, the kouign-​Amann from Satura Cakes in Los Altos is superior.
They sell macarons from L’Artisan:
These are also available at Whole Foods.
They also have a large selection of artisanal chocolate bars and confections:
The stuff on the shelves included:
Dandelion chocolate bars
Fearless chocolate bars
Dick Taylor chocolate bars
Michael Mischer chocolate bars
Saratoga Chocolates: vanilla caramels.
Kika’s Treats
Toffee Talk handmade toffee
Her Coconess Bittersweet Nibby rocky Road
The complete Tcho selection
Fresco chocolate bars
Rogue chocolate bars
ritual chocolate bars
Patric chocolate bars
I tried a small sample from the Madagascar chocolate bar from Dick Taylor; that was awesome. But other than that, overall, nothing here was impressive.

I decided to check this place out right across from my usual haunt, Vanilla Moon bakery. There was one girl working on their blackboard menu when I walked in who just stared at me before returning to her work. I ordered a kouign amann with chocolate, three macarons, and an additional Mexican chocolate with a kick of espresso to soak those down with. The cashier taking my order kept forgetting what I ordered in the process of making the chocolate, not to mention he scrutinized my $ 20 dollar bill that I just withdrew from the BOA 2 blocks down to verify if it was real, which I thought was hilarious. Perhaps too much CSI Miami? But soon I was set and ready to indulge!
I opted for the kouign amann with chocolate for an extra 50 cents and I realized it was a tiny piece stuck in the very center. Make no mistake; it was good quality chocolate, but it didn’t add to the pastry in any way. I could have just taken one of those small chocolate samples in the front and added to the center to recreate a comparable experience. The pastry itself was very flaky but far too buttery; it tasted like it was stuffed with a stick of butter to my delight and horror. Still one of the better kouignoù-​amann I’ve had.
The macarons I tried had a great cake-​like texture. The only gripe I had with them was that they were pretty flat. The mango were very flavorful, but the vanilla and pistachio were rather bland. However, they are cheap for $ 1.95 considering they are apparently gluten-​free and have no artificial coloring despite looking artificial.
The Mexican chocolate which I requested for spicy was a real let-​down because it was too watery and I didn’t get the nice cinnamon flavor which is signature for Mexican hot chocolates; instead I got some bits and pieces of spices in my drink.

I am very impressed with Serendipity.
It is a small place with a very modern and clean vibe for coffee, chocolates or some baked goods.
They appeared to have a good selection of chocolates and some good coffee, although I didn’t actually try and of ‘em.
I had some of their baked goods samples, and was very surprised how good they are. They would make for a great breakfast, lunch or snack.
However, I mainly came for the Macarons. I would probably have ranked Serendipity a 4 if all they had were Macarons, but they deserve a 5 when their other stuff is so great too.
They don’t have a great selection of Macarons, just the basics, but they are priced at $ 1.75 each, which is one of the cheapest around.
I had the chocolate & the vanilla. I could taste the vanilla, which was good, but it wasn’t as good as Chantal’s or Cocola’s Vanilla flavoring. The chocolate was very chocolatey, and really good.
The texture was spot in my opinion. Gooey & Chewy. It didn’t crumble.
In the end, Chantal still has the upper hand for Macarons in my books because they have stronger flavors and they have a much wider variety of flavors, but Serendipity is more than just Macarons as they have chocolates, coffee & other great baked goods.

Was in the neighborhood to get some personal things done, had to make appointment for the place so I decided to find a nice dessert place nearby. Unilocaled it and this placed popped right up! Saw macarons on the menu and decided to try it! I couldn’t decide on what to try and I wanted to get some for my parents too so I ordered the bakers 12 and got almost two of every flavor. MMMMM I love the texture of these macarons and the filling is just right. I’d definitely come back here if I were in the neighborhood!
The girls working there were so nice too! It was definitely worth the stop :)
Oh, they also have little bit size chocolates, teas, as well as some interesting looking pastries! It seems to be a good studying place for people.

Im always looking for a good coffee place. Ive found out that most recently, it seems places that do chocolate and pastries have better coffee than most cafes! Moniques in Palo Alto has Equator, Kara’s Cupcakes does Blue Bottle. A trend perhaps? Serendipity does Barefoot coffee and has some good pastries. Macarons and Cappucinos ftw!

Addicted!
The macaroons are so delicious! My favorite is the raspberry & pistachio ones. Lemon was good too. I only tried the pomegranate chocolate which was just ok to me, but the toffee almond squares were delicious.
To top that off, the lady (owner?) who works there is really nice and patient. I think I was at the store for over 20 minutes trying to decide what to get.
I’m so glad I found a place close by to get my macaroon fix. It’s better than Vanilla Moon’s macaroons too! They also do favors too so I can’t wait to try that out.
I had to come back the next day to get more macaroons!

They say two wrongs don’t make it right.
Serendipity focuses on two of my favorite wrongs… (Coffee and Chocolate.)
Let me back up… I don’t think these are wrong. It’s the lady who wrote the Skinny Bitch book. Apparently these two things are excessive and unhelpful to losing weight and becoming the hot skinny bitch I so want to be.
When I’m feeling like throwing that entire plan out the window, and indulging, I go here. But hey, everything in moderation, right?
I love their ity bity tiny chocolate proportions, that come from all various chocolatiers around the Bay area. Serendipity even carries vegan and soy chocolates! YUM! Mmmm! They also carry those French Macaroons and other decadent pastries and treats.
The cappuccinos and lattes with almond, soy have been marvelous each and every visit. They make them with cow’s milk too. couldn’t tell you about that one.
It’s a fairly small space, but still enough seating and little nook areas to sit down with a laptop or book and do some work, without being poised directly in front of the counter.
I wish their were more places like this, where indulgence can be moderate, comfortable and fun, just like Serendipity. :-) MMM. Yum!

I really like Serendipity — for one thing, it’s a high-​class chocolate shop with numerous vegan options, and it’s in the suburbs, no less! It helps to cement San Carlos’s status, in my opinion, as the best suburb other than Palo Alto in the Bay Area, especially for food (eat that, Burlingame!)
Actually, given what Serendipity offers, you’d be hard-​pressed to find something similar even in San Francisco itself.
So what’s so good about the place?
–they have a good array of vegan chocolates (at least four or five different types), all of which are available for sampling, and all of which are delicious and unusual
–they offer vegan popsicles from San Francisco-​based Pop Nation
–they have gourmet vegan hot chocolate, which can be made with either soy or almond milk; it’s rich, thick and practically a meal unto itself
–they have a good selection of high-​grade loose-​leaf teas, in case you want something light to go with your sweets
In fact, I can’t think of any other place in the Bay Area that offers vegan chocolates, high-​grade tea and popsicles all in one setting.
My only gripe, and it’s a major one, is that Serendipity has terrible hours. I mean, it’s closed Sunday, Monday AND Tuesday, which is just excessive. And, of course, it seems like every time I want to stop by, it’s on a Sunday, Monday or Tuesday.
Regardless, it’s worth a visit and unlike any other chocolate shop/​tea shop in the Bay Area.

I was on my way to Zest Bakery in San Carlos, and saw the signs for Serendipity. Since I love the movie, and the shop with the same name in New York, I decided to stop in this Serendipity after seeing the high Unilocal reviews. The shop was very cute, and neatly organized. I liked how they had all their chocolates labeled, but wish that was the same case with the pastries. I ordered:
–Vanilla Macaron (
, $ 1.75): Pretty good, but really sweet. The macaron was crispy on the outside but still chewy on the inside, which I liked. However, I wouldn’t order this again.
–Chocolate Macaron (
, $ 1.75): Just so-​so. The chocolate flavor was on the bland side. Skip!
–Kouign Amann ($ 4.35?,
): Pretty good but really really buttery. Buttery to the point where the pastry was oozing out butter with each bite after I lightly toasted it in the oven. I wouldn’t order this again.
The total was $ 16.05 for 2 macarons, 1 kouign amann, and 1 Jacque Torres milk chocolate toffee bar (which I think cost around $ 8), which is crazy! I am usually not one to balk at high prices for high quality baked goods/​desserts, but even I was almost appalled enough to cancel my order after hearing the total for everything. The Jacque Torres chocolate bar wasn’t clearly labeled with the price, and I had no idea it would cost that much. The worst part was, I thought it just tasted average.
Overall, I don’t think I’ll be back to Serendipity due to the high prices and because I didn’t try anything that really amazed me. Also, the box they put my desserts in also fell apart during the transport home, which bugged me a bit. I came during lunch on a weekday and the parking was also a nightmare, so I would recommend trying to come during off peak times if possible.

I write this after having had a double espresso shot made from their delicious and locally sourced Barefoot coffee, so bare with me if I ramble-it’s some powerful stuff!
I love this little coffee/​chocolate shop. I have come here to buy freshly ground espresso, to drink their incredible spicy hot chocolate, which has a firey kick to it, and to purchase their artisan chocolates that not only always taste decadently delicious, but are also gorgeously presented.
I recently had two medical directors and the VP of my husband’s company come to our house for dinner, and in a frantic effort to appear like I know how to properly entertain, I rushed over to Serendipity. I went all out with cooking a feast for dinner, so I wanted dessert to be light, but still a show-​stopper. I bought a dozen various chocolates and cookies: double chocolate, raspberry, and espresso macaroons, white chocolate with dark chocolate ganache filling, chocolate sea salt, La Vanille (Tahitioan vanilla w/​rum), and orange vanilla & bourbon peach. It was a huge success! There wasn’t one bit of dessert left, and all the guys raved about the chocolates, especially the rum and bourbon ones (no surprise).
So stop by this cute little spot to get everything anyone really needs: a coffee or chocolate buzz!

Came by late afternoon for coffee and dessert.
Service was excellent upon arrival.
Their coffee is from Barefoot but they do not know how to make a dark voodoo. I guess they’re just using the beans from Barefoot. The coffee was decent and the chocolate was bittersweet in my iced mocha. It was unfortunate that there was a piece of plastic/​paper in my drink?!?
The macaroons were decent. Bouchon bakery in Yountville or Bottega Louie in downtown Los Angeles is still the leader when it comes to macaroons.
Parking is street parking only.
Pricing is definitely on the high side…

Love the friendly service here and I love the chocolates. I come every week! This place has become my little zen/​refuge at the end of the week. PLUS now there are pastries which are 50% off after 4PM — Apple Normandy is my fav. Yum. I recommend all of the caramel chocolates and the passion fruit heart one. The stock here is changing all the time so you might become like me and visit every week just to try the new items. ;)
Sadly, the macaroons just aren’t the same as when I last reviewed them. The first time I had them they were perfect — crunch on the outside and chewy on the inside. Perrrfection! But since then it’s become doughy and the crunch just isn’t there. Too bad. I’ll stick to the chocolates.